Patrick Magruder

Patrick Magruder (* 1768 in Rockville , Province of Maryland , † December 24, 1819 in Petersburg , Virginia ) was an American politician who represented the state of Maryland from 1805 to 1807 in the US House of Representatives . From 1807 to 1815 he also served as the Library of Congress's second librarian .

Magruder was born on Locust Grove, his family's estate in Montgomery County . He attended Princeton University and became a lawyer. In 1804 he was elected as a member of the Democratic Republican Party in the ninth US Congress , to which he belonged from March 4, 1805 to March 3, 1807. Upon the death of John James Beckley , President Thomas Jefferson named him Clerk of the House of Representatives and Librarian of Congress. These posts were only awarded separately from 1815.

During his tenure, the library's first catalog was created in 1812 , listing 3,076 volumes and 53 maps. During the war of 1812 , Washington, DC was burned down by the English, as was the Library of Congress, which was then located in the Capitol . After a congressional investigation into the destruction of the library and the use of library funds, Magruder resigned. He was buried on the property of his ancestors near Petersburg.

Web links

• Patrick Magruder in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)